


our tree-lined streets are set ablaze

by nutmeag83



Series: snapshots of autumn [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autumn, Established Relationship, F/F, Foliage, Japan, One Shot, Pictures, Post-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26433484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nutmeag83/pseuds/nutmeag83
Summary: Part of thesnapshots of autumnseries, which tells stories of ladies in love during autumn, this story can be read independently.Molly and Stella visit Japan during autumn. Molly gets gooey over the season and Stella indulges her.
Relationships: Molly Hooper/Stella Hopkins
Series: snapshots of autumn [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921387
Kudos: 1





	our tree-lined streets are set ablaze

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from Shauna Niequist’s _Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way_. 
> 
> This is part of my Molly and Stella series, but there’s no need to read the rest of it to understand this. All you need to know is that Molly is dating Stella Hopkins (who showed up tragically too little in season 4 of _Sherlock_ ). Stella is played by an actor of Japanese descent, so I’ve made Stella’s character the same. This story takes place about a year after Sherlock’s return, with canon having diverged at that point.
> 
> Not beta’d or Britpicked. Molly loves me anyway.

Molly stepped outside the temple behind Stella, breathing deep the scents of a Japanese autumn afternoon. It was both familiar to London, but also completely different. The musky fragrance of leaves was similar, though the types of leaves were different enough to be noticeable. There was the recognizable humidity from the water, though much fresher than the smoggy brine of the Thames. The burning of bonfires was different, mingled with sweet incense from the temple they’d just exited. And on top of it all, the comforting scent of chestnuts interwoven with the less familiar aroma of yakiimo sweet potatoes, both found in carts lining the streets nearby.

This was her first trip out of the UK, and though she’d shied away when Stella first suggested the destination, she’d found herself growing excited as the time to their holiday approached. She loved autumn—the bright colors, the smells, the dreaminess of foggy mornings and the smoky bite of chilly nights—and she had to agree with her girlfriend that the colors in England couldn’t compare to Japanese foliage. Everywhere she looked was a burst of color, from the scarlet leaves above green roofs to strings of orange persimmons ripening under porch eves to golden leaves falling on bright red bridges. Even the early evening lights from street cafes and shops seemed more honeyed here in the crisp air.

Stella hooked her arm with Molly’s, pulling her out of her reverie. “Where to next, love? Hungry yet?”

“Mmm,” Molly hummed, thinking. Everything she’d eaten so far had been delicious, so she didn’t _need_ to be hungry to be tempted to eat, but she was enjoying being outside in the riot of autumn colors and smells. “Can we wander for half an hour? I want to enjoy some time without rushing off somewhere.”

“Of course,” said Stella. “This is your holiday, too, we can do whatever you want.”

Which wasn’t precisely true, because they had flown over with Stella’s parents and brothers to visit family still living in Japan, but they’d decided to go off on their own for a few days in Kyoto before meeting back up with the rest of the Hopkins brood in a nearby village where some cousins lived. But until then, they were on their own.

“I think I saw a park a few blocks that way,” Molly said as they left the temple gates. Stella followed the line of her arm, where it pointed to the left, and nodded. “I believe you’re right.”

They meandered toward the park, not in a hurry to get there, just enjoying the sights as they walked, though they did stop for some chestnuts along the way. The main walkway in the park was picturesquely littered with leaves, but there were loads of lovers walking hand in hand and parents taking pictures of giggling children, so they ended up on a quieter side path that led them to a stone bridge arched over a stream. They stopped to peer over the edge into the water, lingering to watch the koi swimming around.

“I’m glad you asked me to come,” Molly said, leaning so their shoulders touched.

Stella nudged her back in return. “I’m glad you came. Autumn in Japan has always been my favorite, and I wanted to share that with you.”

“Thank you for sharing.” Molly looked out across the park, hearing kids laughing and twirling in the falling leaves. “How many times have you visited Japan in autumn?”

“Hmmm.” Stella thought for a moment. “Twice. Once when I was perhaps six, then again when I was in my twenties. Mostly we come in summer. A couple times during winter break. The Christmas light displays are fantastic.”

Molly frowned. “Isn’t Japan a predominantly non-Christian country?”

“Yup.” Stella grinned. “But they really love pretty lights.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Molly loved bright, glittery things, perhaps because she was not so herself.

“You’re adorable,” Stella said, as if hearing Molly’s thought and scoffing at it. She laced their fingers together before continuing. “I was thinking we’d check out the Jidai Matsuri festival tomorrow morning. We can leave after lunch if it gets to be too much, or we can stay to watch the parade. I’ve heard it’s a gorgeous sight, all the different period costumes. We’ll pack up before that so we can head out right after to meet my family in Kurama for the Fire Festival in late afternoon.”

“So many autumn celebrations,” Molly said, thinking that the only exciting thing to happen in England was Guy Fawkes Night.

“If it’s too much …”

“No! It sounds lovely, really. And we’re on holiday, we’re supposed to do things we don’t normally do.”

“But I know you don’t like crowds.”

Molly shook her head. “You’ll be with me. I’ll be fine.”

Stella grinned and tugged her hand until they began walking again. The sun was setting, and the lights were popping on around the park, adding to the gold of the trees.

“Oh! We need a picture!” Molly exclaimed, digging out her phone.

“Would you like me to take it for you?” asked a young woman who had heard the exclamation and taken pity on them.

Molly nodded and handed the woman the phone. “Doumo arigatou.”

A few minutes later, they were waving goodbye to their helpful photographer and hovering over Molly’s phone to look at the pictures. The lights shone golden in Stella’s shiny hair and reflected off the sequins in Molly’s shirt. They were surrounded by red and orange and the darkening blue of the evening sky. Best of all, they were together and happy. Molly knew exactly where to put the photo when they made it back to England.

“This was nice,” said Stella a few minutes later as they headed off to dinner. “Good idea, Molls.”

Molly smiled back. “It was, wasn’t it?”

**Author's Note:**

> I know not many people care about this ship, but I really like writing these ladies. Molly is so sweet and Stella so cool. :) Hope you enjoyed reading it just as much!


End file.
